The New Hospital Programme is more than building hospitals, it’s a once in a generation opportunity to shape the future of healthcare in England. We’re delivering over 40 new hospitals that will be modern, sustainable and built around the needs of patients and staff. We’re looking for people who care about purpose, who thrive in complex environments and who want to help deliver change at scale for future generations.
We are seeking an experienced Head of Social Value to lead the delivery and embedding of the social value elements of the New Hospital Programme’s Social, Economic and Environmental (SEE) Delivery Strategy.
Reporting to the Director of Sustainability, you will provide strategic leadership for social value across a complex national programme, ensuring consistent delivery, assurance and performance management. Working with NHS Trusts, contractors and delivery partners, you will establish standards, promote best practice, monitor performance and drive continuous improvement across the programme.
You will play a key role in ensuring social value commitments are translated into measurable outcomes, supporting communities and maximising the wider benefits delivered through the programme.
We are looking for someone with:
Significant experience in developing and delivering social value strategies and programmes.
Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at senior levels.
Experience of performance management, assurance and reporting within complex programmes.
Knowledge of social value frameworks, public sector delivery and sustainability principles.
A track record of driving continuous improvement and sharing best practice across large organisations.
NHS England has a wide range of statutory functions, responsibilities and regulatory powers. These are focused on supporting the wider NHS to deliver high quality care, as well as doing those things that are best done once for the whole NHS.
Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms — enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.
In March 2025, the Government announced that NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will increasingly merge functions, ultimately leading to NHS England being fully integrated into the department.
If you currently work within the NHS and if successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the process.
Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in our offices.
Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band.
We cannot offer visa sponsorship for any vacancies.
You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.
For more information on the NHP programme
Due to ongoing organisational change and developments, aspects of this role may be subject to change.
By applying for this position, you acknowledge and understand that NHS England is currently undergoing a consultation process to finalise its structure, which may impact this role.
